PureInsight | June 4, 2001
“On the surface, Zhuan Falun is not elegant in terms of language. It might even not comply with modern grammar. If I were to use modern grammar to organize this book of Dafa, however, a serious problem would arise wherein though the structure of the book’s language might be standard and elegant, it would not encompass a more profound and higher content. This is because modern, standardized terminology cannot express the guidance of Dafa at different high levels and the manifestation of the Fa at each level; neither is it able to bring about practitioners’ transformation of benti and gong, or other such fundamental changes.”
Li Hongzhi
January 5, 1996
When I first read the above passage, I was shaken from the inside out. I saw the inner meanings behind these simple words, and realized that they happened to be the solution to a problem that had troubled me for the last four years. My problem was that I could not figure out how to resolve the conflict between the limitations of human knowledge and the vastness of the universe itself. That inner conflict is described very clearly in the book Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Just like the book says, painting, mathematical formulation, and music are all human languages in their own distinctive ways. The only difference is simply that each chooses a different method of expression. In addition, there are many other ways of expression that humans do not know about. These different ways of expression are connected with one other in certain ways but unconnected in others. For example, one can use mathematical formulae to record the notes in a piece of music, but mathematical formulae can not express the deep human emotions that are embedded into the music. Music and painting can both be used to express human emotions, but music can not capture the visual images associated with emotions the way a painting can. Mathematical formulation can be used to sketch out visual images in a most rudimentary way, but is good for little else. Even if one tries to use all the forms of expression known to humans at the same time to express himself, he still can not come close to describing any of his actual experiences in an adequate manner. The ancient Chinese people were very much aware of this intrinsic problem. Liu Xie, a noted writer in ancient China, wrote, “A human being can only live for a short amount of time. Yet the amount of knowledge out there is endless. How could a human being use something that so short to pursue something that is endless? What a sad thing it is!” The ancient Chinese, therefore, decided not to explore the world around them that way (i.e., through the search for human knowledge). Instead, as Sima Qian wrote in The Record of the Grand Historian, the ancient Chinese chose to focus on “understanding why heavenly beings behave in a certain way” as they tried to find answers to their questions about the mysteries of life.
In summary, the methods that human beings use to absorb knowledge are too few and too superficial. The human language itself even has trouble expressing a human being’s own way of thinking and consciousness. The problem is not that Master Li’s writings are inelegant. The problem is that our methods and abilities of comprehension and understanding are too elementary.
Master Li said that the principles of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition will change in the future. At this time, through mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition there appear kindness and wickedness, which are in sharp contrast with one another but still manage to co-exist. All the old ideas and thoughts in our minds as we cultivate ourselves can be used by evil and are things that we have not managed to correct in our cultivation. Maybe these ideas and thoughts are themselves evil. Through the process of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition, people in the past have basically fought with one another about everything they touched. There is an old Buddhist expression: “there are no such a thing as right or wrong in the human world.” The reality is that whenever you think you are right or wrong, you are wrong.
At this time, we should no longer concentrate on our own personal cultivation. Our roles are to participate in the Fa-rectification process. Therefore, it is our responsibility to eliminate all the old ideas and thoughts that are in human society today. In everything that we do, we are not trying to fight with anybody. We are simply helping to eliminate everything that should be eliminated. We are eliminating the evils and everything that is evil. Along the way, we are helping Master Li to bring salvation to more people. At the same time, things that are old and evil will never allow themselves to be trashed and thrown away without putting up a fight. We are telling people the most righteous principles on the human level so they will no longer believe in or pursue the old and evil things. Then these evil things will lose their credibility, have no place to hide, and no longer have any excuse to justify their existence. They will come to realize that there is no other possible outcome for them besides being eliminated.
As long as we determinedly cultivate ourselves in Dafa, all of us practitioners should have parts that have cultivated well. Every one of us has those parts. Hasn’t Master Li told us this a long time ago? Master Li is changing each of us from the innermost core of our being. The parts of us that have cultivated well are already on the other side, pure and uncontaminated. Whenever we encounter problems, so many different thoughts invariably pop into our minds. Yet isn’t that one in-born thought, the thought that meets the standard of the Dafa from the very depth of our beings, the most righteous one? We are faced with a lot of interference. Yet the power of that pure thought surpasses everything that is evil by far!
We should never ever allow ourselves be controlled by the way humans think. The thoughts of human beings are at a very low level, contain many impurities, and are precisely the things that we need to rectify. The Fa is in the midst of everything around us. If you use a calm heart and pure thoughts to examine everything around us, you will see the manifestations of the Fa everywhere.
Master Li said that Yin and Yang are principles only in this milky world. All of the old human knowledge and science are just a small part of one dimension in the Three Realms of the Milky world. How can we be limited by something that is so small and insignificant? We should not allow such a boundary or limitation to remain in our heads. We are verifying the Fa and not asking for anything from the everyday people. We are ushering in everything that is new, not trying to satisfy the curiosity of the everyday people.
We should use our wisdom to verify Dafa. This will not only let us fulfill our mission, but also justify our existence in rightfulness and help bring salvation to more people.
Master Li said that today’s science is not scientific at all because it can not prove the existence of De. It can not prove that there are consequences for good deeds and bad deeds. I have come to realize that science itself is very self-serving. I will try to illustrate that from a personal standpoint.
Master Li said that the Theory of the Five Elements in ancient China has a lot of merit to it. The ancient Chinese civilization was not something invented or created by one person. It was actually something broad and immense. This is absolutely true. I have studied the Five Elements, the Book of Changes, Ba Gua, Qimendunjia, and many ancient Chinese books for a long time, and received a lot of inspiration from those studies. The theories behind Yin-Yang or the Five Elements have so much depth. They have no beginnings and no endings, and greatly surpass today’s science.
Science in the new era should be used to fight against anything that is evil and promote kindness. People should no longer be allowed to use it as means to accomplish selfish goals. As the new science develops, people should come to realize the real meaning of life and why one should try to return to his origin more and more clearly. The new science should serve as a ladder helping people to climb up as they try to improve their understandings of the real Buddha Fa. It should be connected to the truth in the universe, and cease being a guardrail for people who are trying to build a shaky skyscraper. It should be in perfect harmony and cover everything that is in the human world.
(Translated from http://www.zhengjian.org/sci/sci/home/newscontent.asp?ID=9380)
